The present invention relates to a chest unit, and more particularly to a chest unit having novel and practical structure to enable easy assembling and disassembling of its panels to facilitate convenient transport thereof, vertical and/or horizontal connection of two and more chest units depending on actual need, and installation of differently sized locks in a size-adjustable opening on a door thereof.
A plurality of lockers arranged in multiple rows and levels are frequently provided in public places, such as railroad stations, shopping malls, playgrounds, swimming pools, etc., for users to temporarily deposit personal things therein. Each of such lockers is a sectional unit having a structure allowing horizontal or vertical connection of two or more units of such locker to one another. There are various types of lockers available in the markets. However, these conventional lockers usually have the following drawbacks:
1. The conventional lockers have sidewall panels connected to top and bottom panels only through engagement of insertion edges with corresponding grooves. The locker assembled in this manner is not structurally stable and the sidewall panels thereof tend to separate from the top and the bottom panel easily.
2. The horizontal connection of two or more conventional lockers is achieved through engagement of mating elastic fastening means. It is not convenient to mount or dismount such elastic fastening means to or from the locker, and the elastic fastening means tend to break at their fastening heads.
3. The conventional locker has a door pivotally connected to one sidewall panel of the locker via a door-closing member, which is fixedly mounted on the door and could not be separated therefrom for repair or replacement purpose. That is, a damaged door-closing member would necessitate replacement of the whole door to form a waste.
4. An additional base must be screwed to bottom panels of the conventional lockers located at the lowest level of multiple connected lockers, in order to raise all the lockers from the floor by a certain distance for easy access of the lowest lockers and isolating them from moisture. The additional base increases costs for connecting or separating it to or from the lockers.
5. A different type of lock, such as a key-operated lock, a combination lock, a coin-operated lock, etc., may be installed on the door of each locker. However, it is necessary to cut a lock opening on the door completely in accordance with the lock to be installed on the door. This causes inconvenience in manufacturing the door with lock opening.
It is therefore desirable to develop a chest unit that has novel and practical structure to eliminate drawbacks existing in the conventional lockers.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a freely connectable chest unit that has exchangeable sidewall panels as well as exchangeable top and bottom panels and could therefore be more easily assembled and disassembled to enable convenient transport thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a freely connectable chest unit that enables easy connection of it to two or more other chest units in both vertical and horizontal directions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a freely connectable chest unit having sidewall panels, top and bottom panels, back panel and door completely made of the same recyclable material, such as a plastic material.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a freely connectable chest unit having a detachably mounted door-closing member that could be set to two different functioning positions to allow automatic or manual closing of the door, respectively.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a freely connectable chest unit having a size-adjustable lock-installing opening provided on the door to enable installation of differently sized locks on the door depending on actual need.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a freely connectable chest unit having a lock that is provided with a projection detachably received in a retaining space on one sidewall panel to hold the door to a freely openable closed position, and a locking hook turnable to abut against or separate from a stopper on the same sidewall panel only when the lock is locked or opened with a key.